Both star forwards are set to play crucial roles in the top-of-the-table clash at Anfield on Sunday evening

Comparison between Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Manchester City poacher Sergio Aguero is premature, according to Pep Guardiola who believes the Egypt forward would need to replicate his last season form in ‘eight or nine years’ to catch up.

Salah made a blistering start to his Anfield career on his return to England, scoring a record 32 Premier League goals and 44 goals in all competitions. The former Roma Star beat Aguero, who finished the 2017-18 campaign on 21 league goals, to the Golden Boot. However, the former Atletico Madrid star and City’s all-time goalscorer has 111 top-flight goals [148] more than Salah [37].

“He [Salah] is younger and it was his first year back in England since his time at Chelsea, so we will see in the future,” said Guardiola ahead of Sunday’s fixture at Anfield. “But a guy who has the quality to score 50 goals in a season always has that quality. But football is all about ups and downs. “Salah remains an excellent player and will score goals in the future. When you are in there scenting goals sometimes this happens.

“Sergio has scored a lot of goals but there were periods when he didn’t score goals. “How many years has Sergio scored all those goals, eight or nine years? For Salah it was the first one so we will see in seven or eight years.” This season, though, Salah has struggled to kick on from his debut campaign heroics, finding the back of the net thrice in seven league games, amid some forgettable performances. The 26-year-old will hope to improve against Guardiola’s men at Anfield, and also, outshine their star forward Aguero.